While you may have used eBay to sell your old DVDs, some clothes that you no longer wear or that pointless Christmas present that your gran gave you last year, you have never really considered it as a platform from which to sell your wares. As an importer of goods, you recognize the need for an online platform to increase your visibility and promote your products. By utilizing a worldwide auction site, you will have the ultimate global reach to sell the products that you have imported. While many people choose to sell on eBay, very few, make the leap into becoming a professional eBay seller.
Sourcing Your Product
As an importer, it’s vital that you can source the most sellable product at the most reasonable price. You need to head to the emerging markets in the Far East such as Taiwan, China and South Korea. These manufacturing hotspots offer the best quality products for prices that make importing them to your home country a viable business proposition. Companies like leelinesourcing will listen to your requirements, source reputable suppliers and ship direct to your own warehouse, meaning you don’t have to spend hours on the phone or online trying to mitigate the risk of substandard products.
It’s imperative that you do your sums and make sure the numbers stack up. Just because a product is cheap doesn’t mean it is sellable. At the same time, it could be a knock-off, substandard or poorly made. You need to conduct thorough market research and discover a niche in your potential customer base. Find out what it is that will make their lives easier or more efficient and then go and source that product in the Far East. Sell for a profit, and you could be onto a money-making venture.
Listing Products
The platform of eBay really is what you make it. Sure, you could put up a few pictures of your product and a brief description and see if it sells. However, while this may have worked for your old pair of Converse, you now need to put a little more effort in with your business. It’s vital that you are honest at all times, mention any flaws in the product and provide a thorough description of the item. Take professional studio standard photographs of your products from all angles and utilize the photo allowance you have. If you can upload twelve photos, don’t simply upload four.
When compiling your descriptions, make sure that you use high-quality content and be as detailed as possible. People want to know everything about the item they are purchasing. They are parting with their hard-earned cash and giving it to a faceless business entity, so it’s imperative that you give them as much detail as possible. List measurements, condition and give examples of its usage of relevant.
Your Profile
As a seller, you can develop your online profile that potential customers can view. Show a little bit of personality and tell them about yourself. Explain why you are passionate about your business, how you got started and your professional background. People buying your products need to be confident in you, your shipping policies and reputation.
Developing your reputation can seem like a steep mountain to climb when you are first starting out. It can seem nigh on impossible trying to compete with those firmly established sellers with consistent five-star feedback over five or six years worth of trading. However, they also had to start somewhere and develop their standing on the platform.
Try and offer incentives to drive a surge in sales and offer a discount to any purchaser who leaves a review. In your quest to receive top feedback, it’s important that you don’t just pay lip service to provide exceptional customer service. You must practice what you preach. Go out of your way to respond to emails and questions within a few hours, always package your items well, deliver on time and follow up with an email to make sure they are happy with their purchase. These small gestures will mount up to an outstanding customer experience that your customers will mention in their feedback. By echoing this on your social media feeds, website, and personal blog, you can develop a sound reputation and a greater level of consumer confidence in your business.
Starting an eBay business requires hard work, time and effort in the same way as any startup. Persevere, build your reputation and bring a top quality product to market, and you have every chance of success.